An inspector Calls GCSE English Literature

“... a man has to make his own way—has to look after himself—and his family…. and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm”

mr birling says this, theme of responsibility. this is spoken to gerald and eric before the inspector arrives. This quote reveals Arthur Birling’s self-centredness and his narrow-minded view of society. His vocabulary reveals his sense of individualism as he believes that everyone should be responsible for themselves and their family and is devoid of any sympathy for those less fortunate than himself “A man has to…”  alludes to his patriarchal values, that men should have more power and privilege than women

this is what summons the inspectors presence, he suggests the view of looking after yourself only leads to exploitation before goole departs he says “who is to blame then”?”

“Working together, for lower costs and higher prices”

birling says this to gerald and has a theme of capitalism vs socialism. Arthur Birling is discussing his delight that one day Gerald’s family business will no longer be seen as rivals and that they may eventually join forces. Arthur’s priorities are those of business and he believes he needs to make as much profit as possible, regardless of the consequences. He has no sense of responsibility or concern that his workers may need higher wages to live. He believes his wages are fair and treats the pay strike at his factory with contempt for it threatens his profits.

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“but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”

This quote is from Act I and Sheila directs this quote to her father when he is discussing the workers in his factory. Working-class women would have been one of the cheapest forms of labour available to factory owners. Although Sheila appears somewhat self-interested at the beginning of Act I, there are early indications (as evident in this quote) that she is a caring character. This quote reveals her sensitive nature and her compassion and empathy for others less fortunate than herself. The use of the word ‘but’ shows how she has interrupted and challenged her father’s views here and as the play progresses, her dialogue increasingly demonstrates an assertiveness towards her parents

“Everything’s all right now, Sheila”

This quote is from the end of Act III and Gerald directs this line to Sheila in the hope that she will take back his engagement ring. Offering the ring again to Sheila at the end of the play suggests Gerald has not learned anything from the Inspector. The use of the adverb ‘now’ shows that he believes that it is possible for everything to return to normal. When Gerald realises there are no consequences for his behaviour, he no longer cares . As Gerald falls between the younger and older generations, the audience will have hoped that he would have redeemed himself, but by the end of the play he reverts to his original stance. the tone also seems very derogatory towards Sheila, perchance some patriarchal mindset seeping in.

“I know I’m to blame - and I’m desperately sorry”

‘I can’t stop thinking about it ’

This is act 2 after sheila’s confession in act 1. Sheila is portrayed as both sympathetic and courageous as she is the first character (apart from the Inspector) to empathise with Eva Smith’s predicament. The personal pronoun ‘I’ is repeatedly used here to show that Sheila acknowledges her own personal guilt. However, the Inspector insists that the guilt, as well as the responsibility, must be shared by all. Sheila’s language becomes increasingly emotional and she continually displays genuine remorse for her actions

“I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame”

This quote is from Act II and Sybil Birling directs it toward the Inspector. Sybil is portrayed as one of the least compassionate characters in the play. She refuses to express any guilt for their treatment of Eva. She continues to fail to see or acknowledge that she has done anything wrong. The older generation is sharply contrasted with the younger generation, as they are able to demonstrate their capacity for change and accept their social responsibility. However there may be a true sense of sincerity in this quote as she has appeared as if she’s tried to understand the inspector but has deemed that her need to evade scandal and maintain reputation is greater than her need to show remorse.

"Girls of that class"

This quote is from Act II and Sybil Birling directs it toward the Inspector. Sybil makes incorrect assertions about the working classes and views them as morally and socially inferior. She ignorantly links class with morality and cannot believe Eva, as a working-class girl, would refuse stolen money. Sybil’s hypocritical stance means she overlooks her own selfish and immoral actions and others belonging to her class

she wont accept responsiblity, as though sybil could understand a potential subhamnfigure like eva, the class system is the enemy

“you youngsters”,
“good hard school of experience”

• Arthur Birling is presented as patronising, and often wrong despite his certainty. He belittles his adult children, calling them “you youngsters”. In this way, Priestley exposes Arthur as an arrogant parent. Priestley portrays Arthur Birling’s strong disagreement with socialist philosophies. His capitalist views are illustrated by his pride as a businessman. His description of a “good hard school of experience” challenges academics. He thinks “practical” businessmen “know” better than socialist writers like the “Bernard Shaws and H.G.Wellses” however his speech contains a more regional accent, with informal terms, that wouldn’t usually be used from members of the upper class (oldmoney), like Gerald. It increases his patronising demeanour and futher presents him as even more of an unlikeable character.

“she'd had a lot to say”.. “so she had to go”

• Contrasting characters highlight ideas about morality and guilt. The Inspector and Eric support the right to protest for fair wages, however Arthur Birling feels no guilt. The modal “had to” implies that, as a good businessman, he had no choice. His words illustrate the lack of workers’ rights in Edwardian England . Arthur Birling ironically says that he dismissed Eva for saying “far too much”. This subtly mocks Mr Birling’s hypocrisy as he often talks at length. Priestley presents Arthur Birling’s argument as farcical. class and gender context, can talk about patriarchal

“piece of gross impertinence”… “ prejudiced me against her case”

• Sybil Birling is presented as an arrogant and snobbish upper class woman. Her proud determination makes her confidently admit her prejudice. She believes it disrespectful for Eva to have used the Birling name. Priestley humiliates Sybil Birling for her hypocritical and indignant pride: Her insistence that the father of the child should take responsibility is met with shock when she is told that the father is Eric.

“good solid furniture”…”champagne glasses”

The inclusion of these luxuries, associated with wealth, indicates to the audience that this is the house of a "prosperous manufacturer" (Act 1, pg 1), and creates a sense of luxury. We know to expect characters in the upper classes are likely to be arrogant, ignorant, or both. Priestley's audience of 1945 would be particularly suspicious of the upper classes as after two world wars the class system in the UK had experienced major changes and left people more cautious of the

authorities. This is reinforced by the "pink and intimate" (Act 1, pg 1) lighting, which forces the audience to witness the opening scenes with the same rose tinted glasses as the characters onstage: people who are blissfully ignorant of the struggles of the wider world..the lighter gets brighter and harder once the inspector arrives

“chain of events”

goole. The Inspector's use of parallel phrasing imitates the "chain of events" he speaks of, showing how everything is linked together. The Inspector (a mouthpiece for Priestley's views) seeks to demonstrate to the Birlings how all their actions have consequences because of how society works. Nothing happens out of the blue. The metaphor "chain of events" creates an image of connection and intimacy, but could also connote imprisonment: our responsibility to others is a duty we must face, and we cannot escape it. It is the cost of living in a society.

at any point a chain could become broken and become ineffective, no matter what they did everyone is equal in responsibility

“i cant accept any responsibility” ..”it would be very awkward”

Priestley shows how Mr Birling is resistant to the Inspector's teachings. This line directly opposes what the Inspector just said. He admits the Inspector's proposition is likely, but chooses not to change his ways. The modal verb "can't" implies there's something in his nature that stops him from taking responsibility - we could conclude it is down his privilege or entitlement. The adjective "awkward" shows how he chooses not to care for others merely because it is an inconvenience for him. This is a very selfish, self-absorbed perspective. It can be done, but he knows what he'd rather be doing.

“shes had a long exciting and tiring day”” im getting hysterical now”

gerald and sheila.Female hysteria, described by men as exaggerated or uncontrollable erotion in women, has historically been used to belittle, dismiss, and silence women who go against the norm.Therefore, when Gerald tries to get Sheila excused for being "hysterical", Priestley shows that he sees Sheila as a danger. Her newfound honesty and determination threaten to expose his secret. He is condescending, saying she has "had a long, exciting and tiring day". This infantilises her, portraying women as weak. It may be an attempt to invalidate her later accusations. However, he never says it outright. He speaks in euphemism, and it is Sheila who translates what he is insinuating (hinting at) into blunt speak. She exposes his attempt to disguise his manipulative insults as concern.Also note how he adds that they were celebrating their engagement. At the beginning of the century, husbands still had a tremendous amount of control over their wives. Gerald is reminding both the Inspector and Sheila that he has a claim over her, and that she should obey him. She does agree that she "probably" is hysterical, implying she has been conditioned to doubt or suppress her own distress. This highlights how ingrained misogyny was in society, and how difficult it was for women to be heard, to have a voice, and to be taken seriously.

“we’ll have to share our guilt”

goole. Priestley recognises that accepting blame goes against our instincts as human beings. It causes grief and guilt, and admits fault. He suggests that it can be a group effort, where we all support each other in our "guilt". This makes his proposition of social responsibility more appealing because it isn't strict or harsh. It should bring people together rather than isolating them: nothing will be held against anyone if we all share responsibility and guilt for the wrongs society has caused. Equally, the theme of sharing in this quote links to Priestley's Socialist ideology. He suggests sharing guilt comes hand in hand with sharing goods and wealth. Society needs to be completely connected. Because Priestley was writing this just after the Second World War, when national moral was low and the country was divided in its struggles, this statement may be intended as a sign of hope. He suggests sharing the "guilt" of the war will bring the country together and help it recover.

“I can’t help thinking about this girl…I wish you hadn’t told me”

this quote, Sheila shows a lot of shock and, most importantly, empathy for Eva. She hasn't put up a wall between herself and the lower classes - not to the same extent as her parents, at least. Along with Eric's demonstration of pity for Eva, Priestley establishes the younger generation as more accepting and caring people than their elders. However, Sheila is not without her own prejudices. She wishes she hadn't been told about Eva, suggesting the upper classes avoid tragedy and hardship because it makes them uncomfortable. It would be difficult for them to enjoy their luxurious lives if they knew how the other half lived, so they are deliberately ignorant. It is possible that Priestley wants us to see that Sheila has been conditioned to think this way. Her family have shielded her from the realities of the world. The Inspector helps her break away from this influence by exposing her to such "horrible" things. It's also worth noting how different the lives of Sheila and Eva - two girls of a similar age - are: Priestley asks why it is possible for one to kill herself after a life of continual hardship while the other is having one of the happiest nights of her life. The double standards in society cause lives to be lost.

“young and fresh” “obviously she wasn’t enjoying herself” “those hard-eyed dough-faced women”

Gerald's exact motivations are questionable. He helped Eva escape from the advances of Alderman Meggarty, suggesting kindness and respect, but his hyperbolic, dramatic assumptions - "obviously she wasn't enjoying herself" - could suggest he is exaggerating the situation to paint himself in a better light. He could be using a narrative of her distress to justify why he pursues her. It is clear he was attracted to her and his descriptions objectify her. His focus on how she "looked" indicates his attraction was superficial, based on her appearance not her personality. The adjectives "young and fresh" are troubling because they imply he was attracted to her vulnerability and innocence. It suggests he was a predator, preying on her. "Fresh" could be a reference to her apparent virginity. Men wanted to take a woman's virginity because it was, culturally, a sign of their masculine strength. Women were a conquest. The way he emphasises how "different" she was from "those hard-eyed dough-faced women" is important. It is clear he holds a misogynistic, judgemental view of women, particularly lower class women. To maintain his feeling of superiority and deny his hypocrisy he has to draw a distinction between Eva and the other women at the bar.

“cover this up…damned fool”

we see the tension between Eric and his father. Priestley suggests the culture of masculinity means they have never bonded as father and son. The insult "damned fool" shows how little Mr Birling thinks of his own son, and the whole younger generation. Also notice how Mr Birling's first priority is to "cover [...] up" what Eric did before there is a public scandal.

Eric's act of theft is the only thing that angers Mr Birling: either because Eric betrayed him

personally, or because it is a crime that can be prosecuted. Even so, all Mr Birling truly worries about is the potential for public scandal. It's not the crime that matters so much as the way it will ruin his reputation. Priestley suggests the culture of the upper classes meant people valued reputation and deceit over morality. Mr Birling is willing to conceal what his son did, knowing fully that it was wrong, just to preserve his status.

inspector leaving “but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John smiths still left with us…. if men do NOT learn that lesson they will be taught in fire blood and anguish”

collective responbsiblity

it signals to the audience, Eva represented the working class, and the poulation who are exploited by the bourgeoise like birling and croft

millions, priestley has opened up the play of one familys dining room to a global concern, whilst the biblical language suggests that this is a question of both earthly and eternal significance.

hyperbolic metaophor emphaises his point

the common names, used represets the working class masses

inspector is voice of priestley, his MOUTHPIECE (REMEBER)

theres also an inclusion of john smith, men and women are victims of social injustice

‘still with us” the problem is ongoing

Priestley builds to a climax in his list with the continous useage of and

his word choice of fire blood and anguish all hold connotations of war and death

he reminds us, if we continously carry on living selfishly, there will be consequences of war (ww1 broke out), and the death of millions

didactic message, we all have respobsibility for looking after one another

he argues if the government was socialist, we wouldn’t go to war, because they wouldn’t see human life as profitable and expendable

we dont live alone. we are members of one body. we are responsible for eachother

Jesus discuses this in the last supper - bread as his body

biblical imagery- priestley uses it to tie moral purpose and christianity together - which he says you are a socialist if you are christian

didactic message, collective responsibility. 3 short but blunt sentences helping him to emphaise his main point as it his sumarised in one sentence “one body”. he cleverly suggests that like the limbs of one body, we cannot survive without each other again emphasing the social idea, that we must look out for the most vulnerable in society

“ a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own” - birling

this is an antebellum play (against war), Priestley links capitalism and war

he sets this antebellum, to explore why war happens, beause of politcal classes, the inspector warns “if men do not learn tgat lesson, they will be taught in fire blood and anguish”

“burnt her inside out of course..she was in great agony

violence of evas death to shock the birlings but more importantly sheila.

going on a tangent: goole manipulates sheila as she is the youngest and still the most naive, she becomes his proxy

socialism holds its pros, but as does capitalism, and mr birling simply is a man who provides for his fammily, he is in the wrong howevr for not accepting his mistake in the part played in evas death

the contrast of the inspectors casual attidude within this quote juxtaposes what he has actually spoken

burnt- hell like, one last challenge the birlings forced her to overcome

designed to manipulate sheila

but, what a terrible crime, for eva to decide on the painful death, eva put herself to this torture, because this is equivalent to the horror and exploitation that she has recived from the hands of gerald

“after all it is better to ask for the earth than take it”

suggestes capitalist society is hungry, rapcious, it will consume the whole earth (global warming), but the earth being ripped bare of its goodness by this rapacious, ever hungry class of people who will get money was a profound idea

“respectable citizens, not criminals.. eric

sometimes there isn’t much difference as you think inspector

accusing the ruling class of becoming criminals

literal sense - eric is a theif and stolen frm his business

moral - corrupt, evas job at milwards, birling sacked eva, gerald exploiting her as daisy renton (daisy, a sweet, pure innocent name, flowers are fresh when picked, then discarded when complete with them) unlike the dough eyed women

eric, forced himself upon eva, he impregnates her, and gives her a lack of money (50 pounds wouldve been more than enough, eric took some for himself)

this is when eva comes to the charity, mrs birling couldve saved eva and her baby, but she doesnt believe her

misc

female victim to represent working class

sheila and miss birlings significance in eva’s demise (preistley exploring a feminist perspective before women held any political power)

the audience watching this were predominatly female, as the men were at war

his message is, women can change the future, you have a vote, and have been working

eva is a representation of what women like you couldve been

eva - eve similar to the original christain women, eva represents everybody

“but you can’t, its too late, she’s dead

3 short impactful sentences, drum beat, to hammer his point

does he want them to feel remorse, and sympathy, or does he want to make them pay?

he says this after, sheila and mr birling want to atone

“ why shouldn’t they try for higher prices?'“

eric says this,

eric has gotten eva pregant, and we find out this has happened rather nastily

“i was in that state where a chap easily turns nasty”

• euphemism for sexual violence, it was abusive

• yet eva feels she needs to stay with him, its her only root for finnacial security

it is the fault of the men around eva who have hurt her, gerald THEN eva

“not really I intended to pay it back “

eric believes him taking the money was alright and moral, just because he gave it back. it shows how capitalist always believe in only their favour, and they exceed societal expectations and they are always right

hes still drunk, hes an alcoholic, and hes clearly prone to self justification, he wll forget the inspectors message

eric will inherit this business

“its still the same rotten story”

he agrees with sheila at the end of the play

he characterizes it as a story its a repeated plot, it will happen again

the poor are continously exploited

mrs birling defends gerald “youll have to get used to that just as i did:

talks about when gerald avoids sheila (because he was having an affair")

priestley says, women had to turn a blind eye to their infidelity

transcational cost, in order to retain social status, marry a man of social status, but allow him to indulge in immoral acts

we have sympathy for her she is the result of her enviroment "(john lockes theory”

we have less sympathy, because she tells her daughter essentially this is the way the world works

generational divide

“ i dont believe it, I won’t belive

sybil regarding erics raping her

Priestley argues its human nature, society refuses to learn the lessons, its human nature to hide painful truth, just as its human natures to look after our own nterests

and we also need to better ourselves like sheila and eric

“it happened that a friend of mine..”

gerald needs somewhere private to take women, he describes it as a nice little set of rooms, a nice oppurinity for infidelity, this is a planned encounter

he choses eva because shes vulnerable, he chucks her out

he does this because he comes back to the idea of wilfull self delusion